Dear God
by Luxor Nautalis
Summary: A series of song-fics centering around Alice and Claire. In the desert, Alice contemplates the decisions she's made. If she could go back, would she do things different? In Alaska, Claire is haunted by what was. Can it be again?
1. Dear God

**Disclaimer;** I do not own the Resident Evil franchise, it's character, or any rights to Dear God, nor do I claim them. However, I do claim ownership to my writing, so please do not steal!

**Authors Note;** I have long been in love with the idea of a Claire/Alice relationship. I always imagined the strong connection between them, so, naturally, I always wondered how they would feel at being separated at the end of _Extinction_. Dear God seemed to fit my wondering perfectly, so, naturally, I couldn't resist taking the lyrics and throwing them into a songfic! This is in Alice's pov, and I'll defiantly be adding Claire's soon. 

_A lonely road, crossed another cold state line_  
_ Miles away from those I love purpose hard to find_  
_ While I recall all the words you spoke to me_  
_ Can't help but wish that I was there_  
_ Back where I'd love to be, oh yeah_

The sand never ended. For the hundredth time, Alice looked at the horizon, hoping, praying that she would see anything but sand. A long abandoned house, or gas station, a car or, hell, even an Undead. Every once in a while, her eyes would fly to the sky, as if expecting, at any moment, that she would appear, proud and defiant in the pilot's chair of a commandeered Umbrella Helicopter. Her...the strong-willed, gorgeous redhead that was never far from Alice's mind. Claire...her soft, melodic voice and sparkling, olive-green eyes haunted Alice's every waking- and sleeping- moment. And, at the moment, Alice would give anything to look into those eyes, to hear that sweet, sweet voice singing or to run her fingers through that silky smooth fire red hair. It was a longing so sharp, Alice felt a keen stab of physical pain whenever she thought of the convoy leader.

_Dear God the only thing I ask of you is_  
_ to hold her when I'm not around,_  
_ when I'm much too far away_  
_ We all need that person who can be true to you_  
_ But I left her when I found her_  
_ And now I wish I'd stayed_  
_ 'Cause I'm lonely and I'm tired_  
_ I'm missing you again oh no_  
_ Once again_

Silently, Alice sent out a prayer, to who she didn't know, that Claire and the others had made it to safety. With a lonesome sigh, the blond idly wondered where her lover was, or what she was doing. Did those soft, green eyes look up at the starr every night, as Alice did, and imagine that her counterpart was doing the same? Was her every moment filled with thoughts of the supposedly lost superhuman, as Alice's was? She could only hope. And pray. Pray that some deity that still pitied the human race would hear her plea and keep the woman she loved safe, at least until she could find her way back to her.

Not for the first time, Alice felt hate bubbling inside of her. She hated Isaacs for everything he had done, more specifically the attack on Las Vegas and his never-ending experimenting. She hated Umbrella for allowing the T-virus to escape on the world and for allowing it to be created in the first place. She hated the life that Claire had been forced into, always on the move, always afraid that this day would be her last. But, more importantly, she hated herself. She hated herself for everyone that had ever died because of her; Rain, Matt, LJ, Carlos, Angie...her throat constricted as she thought the last name, the sting in her eyes alerting her to the threat of tears.

Yes, she hated herself for what she had allowed Umbrella to do to her. She hated herself for wanting revenge more than she wanted to make sure the convoy was safe, and, she especially hated herself for looking into those green eyes she adored so much and backing away from the chopper. The look of disbelief and shock mixed with betrayal and sadness that had flashed across Claire's face as Alice chose revenge over her would haunt the bio-weapon forever.

_ There's nothing here for me on this barren road_  
_ There's no one here while the city sleeps_  
_ and all the shops are closed_  
_ Can't help but think of the times I've had with you_  
_ Pictures and some memories will have to help me through, oh yeah_

Alice was all-to painfully aware of exactly how alone she was. Now that Isaacs was dead, and her need for revenge was sated, she wanted nothing more than to find the nearest running vehicle, be it a car, plane, chopper or, hell, even a bicycle, and head directly toward Alaska, where her heart was waiting for her, in the palms of a gorgeous, charismatic redhead with mischievous eyes and a heart-stopping smile. But, things weren't that easy. She looked back toward the entry doors of the underground laboratory, knowing that, underneath the surface lie a massive facility occupied by no one but clones. Exact likenesses of herself. But, even with hundreds and hundreds of her-selves, Alice still felt like the loneliest person in the world.

Her mind played on a continuous loop, replying ever stolen kiss or secretive glance they had ever shared, every soft caress and whispered word. Alice's eyes were blank, starring off into the distance with a glazed over expression as memory after haunting memory flooded into her mind and tore into her heart like a knife, leaving her bleeding and exposed and, more than anything, wanting to die. Swiftly, her eyes screwed shut against the barrage or unwanted reminiscings and her fingers curled into tight fists. Soon, Alice felt the bite of fingernails into the flesh of her palms, but she didn't care. She welcomed the pain...she needed the pain. Small droplets of blood fell from the newly open wounds, pooling on the sand at her feet for a split second before the parched, thirsty dirt sucked up the drop greedily.

_Dear God the only thing I ask of you is_  
_ to hold her when I'm not around,_  
_ when I'm much too far away_  
_ We all need that person who can be true to you_  
_ I left her when I found her_  
_ And now I wish I'd stayed_  
_ 'Cause I'm lonely and I'm tired_  
_ I'm missing you again oh no_  
_ Once again_

Finally, Months of pent up emotion caught up with her. Something inside of her snapped, and she fell to the ground in a fury, raining blow after malicious blow upon the defenseless turf. Her dry, cracked lips parted and she let out a loud, excruciating roar as her attack on the ground beneath her knees grew more intense. In the back of her mind, she felt the stinging pain of the flesh on her knuckles splitting with every impact, but her eyes refused to notice the blood that now gushed profusely from the wounds. She screamed again and again, each blow punctuated with a heart-breaking shout until her voice was raw and bleeding. The taste of blood filled her mouth, and she flung a few more weak punches to the ground before she collapsed, sobs wracking her body and tears flooded her eyes and overflowed onto the sand below.

She curled up into a ball, pulling her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around them before she gave in fully to her sorrow and pain, her hate and rage. Her body shook with each powerful spasm, and, in between sobs, she called out the name of the woman she loved more than life itself. She didn't know how long she cried, or how long she lay there motionless afterward she ran out of tears, completely spent both emotionally and physically. She was hyper-aware of the excruciating pain radiating from her hands, now a bloody, sand covered mess, and the intense burning in her throat. She knew, without even looking at the limbs, that she had broken something...or many somethings.

_Some search, never finding a way_  
_ Before long, they waste away_  
_ I found you, something told me to stay_  
_ I gave in, to selfish ways_  
_ And how I miss someone to hold_  
_ when hope begins to fade..._

Finally, long after the sun had sunk below the horizon and the stars slunk into the navy blue heavens, she stirred. Stiffly, she unlocked her arms from around her knees and straightening her stiff back, rolling around slowly onto her knees, hissing in pain as the dried, dirt caked blood on her knuckled cracked, reopening some of the wounds. She looked down at her ruined hands, watching a few drops of blood seep from the gashes. Leaning back on her knees, her bottom resting lightly on the heels of her combat boots, she lifted her hands and, by the light of the moon, slowly clasped and unclasped the fists, stretching the torn flesh and opening the wounds. The flesh around her knuckles was colored a deep, angry purple, but she knew the cuts and bruising would be healed and naught but a painful memory in a few hours.

Slowly, she stood, the stiff, aching muscles in her body screaming in protest, her teeth clenching against the pain and her nostrils flaring from the tension in her body. After what seemed like a pain-filled lifetime, she finally made it to her feet, her hands hanging loosely at her sides. Her head lifted, the red, puffy flesh around her eyes illuminated by the light of the full moon. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears, and she swallowed, exerting every ounce of will power to keep the drops from ever falling. The time was tears was over...and, though she didn't feel better, the emotional tension that had been plaguing her for weeks had finally lessened, even if it wasn't by much.

She released the breath she had been holding before her slumped shoulders straightened, the emotion drained from her eyes, and the familiar, emotionless mask slipped into place. There was no more time for tears. She didn't have time to wallow in self-pity...there was work to be done, and the faster she finished it, the quicker she could return to her lover's arms. Already, the shredded flesh on her hands were knitting together and forcing the grains of sand from her body.

_A lonely road, crossed another cold state line_  
_Miles away from those I love purpose hard to find_

Alice closed her eyes as the light desert breeze brushed against her face, the blond trying to imagine it was her lovers touch and not just a cruel trick of nature. Suddenly, an idea came to her, and she wondered why she hadn't thought of it before. Her and Claire had always been incredibly in tune to one another, knowing almost immediately when something was wrong. So, that could only mean they were linked on some sort of psychic level...soul mates, Claire had once called it. Alice let a small smile curl her lips as she replayed the memory in her head, every detail, including the look in her love's eyes, the slight flush in her cheeks, and the way her breath brushed against Alice's skin as she declared them soul mates. Alice had hardly complained...in fact, she completely agreed with the other woman.

And so, the idea fresh in her head, she closed her eyes, took a deep breath and opened her mind. Her conscience sought out the all-too familiar presence of the woman she loved more than life itself, each second bringing her closer to her lover's mind. Finally, she found her, the redheads mind shining like a beacon in the darkest of rooms. Alice smiled despite herself, simply taking a moment to bask in Claire's warmth before she brushed her mind against the other woman's. The superhuman summoned an image of her soul mate in her mind before she called upon the image of herself lightly brushing the pad of her thumb against the redheads cheekbone before she leaned in and placed a soft, lingering kiss on her beautiful, luscious lips. With a determined mind, she projected the image she had created across the psychic channel, hoping beyond all hope that her hypothesis about their mental connection had been correct, and the other woman had received the images Alice had created from her inner mind.

_Dear God the only thing I ask of you is_  
_to hold her when I'm not around,_  
_when I'm much too far away_  
_We all need the person who can be true to you_  
_I left her when I found her_  
_And now I wish I'd stayed_  
_'Cause I'm lonely and I'm tired_  
_I'm missing you again oh no_  
_Once again_

"I love you..." she whispered into the wind, the words echoing through her mind and, hopefully to Claire's. There was so much more she wanted to say, so much she _needed _to say, but she settled for what she had wanted to say the most. Lingering in her lover's psychic presence for just a second more, Alice finally broke the connection, her eyes once more turning toward the moon, knowing that, one day soon, she and Claire would be together again, and she could say all those things she so desperately had wanted to say.

Song; Dear God by Avenged Sevenfold


	2. Alone in This Bed

**Disclaimer;** I do not own the Resident Evil franchise, its character, or any rights to Alone in This Bed, nor do I claim them. However, I do claim ownership to my writing, so please do not steal!

**Authors Note;** So, I finally got the inspiration to write Claire's pov, thanks to an awesome review ;P For this, I chose the song Alone in This Bed, by Framing Handley. I think one of the reasons it took me so long to gather enough muse for this was because I was having a lot of trouble deciding on a song. There were a few that seemed really great for Claire, and her feelings, but I finally decided. Obviously, for this fic, Claire and the others made it safely to Alaska, and have settled down. So, without further adieu, here it is.

_Waking up without you_

_It doesn't feel right_

_To sleep with only memories_

_It's harder every night_

_Sometimes I think I can feel you breathing on my neck_

The cabin suffocated her. It wasn't because of the warm chit-chat that Kmart provided as they sat across one another at the small kitchen table, or the heat of the roaring fire that burned in the nearby fireplace. It was because the cabin was missing something. Missing something that Claire desperately wanted. No, not wanted. _Needed_. Something that Claire needed more than she needed air to breathe, or food to eat.

Not something. Someone.

For the thousandth time, she found the ever-shrinking walls of the cozy little house closing in on her, and she retreated to the only place where she could make it go away. The cold night air brushed against her face, shuffling the loose red locks around her shoulders. She sucked in a deep breath, crossing her arms over her chest and bracing herself for the cold that would tighten her chest. Or maybe that had nothing to do with the cold, and everything to do with the images that flashed in her mind as soon as she stepped onto the porch.

They weren't memories she wanted. At least, she didn't think she wanted them, not all the time. They plagued her mind every second of every day, and Claire was torn between wanting to cling to them desperately and wanting to banish them completely. She didn't know which would be better. Remembering every moment she had spent in Alice's arms over and over again, recalling every soft touch or whispered word, or forgetting them. She wanted to forget. Desperately, _desperately _wanted to forget. Forgetting was easier than remembering. Forgetting was easier than remembering what she had, and what she might never have again. Forgetting was just...easier.

There was only one word to describe Claire now. She had once been courageous, strong-willed, charismatic and confident, but not anymore. Those things had died when she had. And she had died when she had left Alice behind in the desert. Now, she was only one thing; Haunted. She barely ate, hardly slept, and found it increasingly harder to return the small talk and banter the surviving convoy members and Kmart tried to carry on with her. She walked around like a ghost, her eyes always focused on the ground and her shoulders always slumped in defeat.

She knew the way they looked at her. She knew they were worried and concerned. She knew she needed to be strong for them, like she used to be. But she just...couldn't. She was unable to force herself to be that person again. And they didn't understand. No one did. Kmart tried, but she still didn't get it. She was just a teenager, what did she know about love? She didn't know what it was like to feel like half of yourself is missing. She didn't know what it felt like to have every perfect moment in your life stuck on repeat in your head.

_Tonight I'm reaching out to the stars_

_I think that he owes me a favor_

_It doesn't matter where you are_

_I'll hold you again_

Alice had promised. She had promised she would come back. Claire clung to those words as a drowning man clings to the lone piece of driftwood in the middle of an ocean. Like a dying man clings to his last seconds of life, striving to get those last few words out before eternal sleep takes him. She was that dying man. With every little memory that flashed before her eyes, or every whisper she heard ringing in her ears, she died. Just a little bit, but pretty soon those little bits began to grow into a large one. But Alice had promised.

Seven long months. Seven months of dying. There was only so much one person could take. As the days passed into weeks, and weeks into more months, it only got worse. Alice wasn't coming back. If she was going to, she would have by now, wouldn't she? Maybe it had all been just a sick little game for the blond. Maybe Claire had been her plaything; a source of amusement in a world where so little still remained. Maybe she had been. But maybe she hadn't.

Surely no one could possibly fake the emotion in the words Alice had spoken to her. No one could possibly fake the look in those haunting cobalt blue eyes when they looked at her, searing straight to her soul. Claire had met some pretty good liars in her time, but surely no one could possibly lie that good. She was stuck in limbo, hovered between heaven and hell. In heaven, she could see Alice waiting for her, with a soft smile, holding her hand out for Claire to take. How she wanted to run forward, and take that hand, and feel those strong arms around her telling her everything would be okay. But then, there was hell. The blond was standing with a mocking smile on her achingly beautiful features, her body cast in an orange light from the hellish flames that licked around her feet. On that Alice's face, all Claire could see was dark humor and malicious delight. No love, or adoration or tenderness clouded her eyes. Which was the reality?

Claire cast her eyes to the stars, picturing a night so many months ago that she had sat, snuggled in Alice's arms while the blond pointed out constellations. She could hear that familiar raspy voice whispering in her ear, telling her the names of the stars she pointed out. She remembered herself asking Alice if she had ever regretted what happened to the world, and she remembered the older woman's answer as clear as day.

_I used to...every day. But I don't anymore. If none of this had ever happened, I would have never met you. I know I shouldn't feel that way...I shouldn't be glad that the world has gone to hell and billions of people have died. But...I can't help it. I can't regret something that brought me to you._

Surely such a perfect answer couldn't have been faked. Surely...

_I wish I could hear your voice_

_And don't leave me alone in this bed_

_I wish I could touch you once more_

_And don't leave me alone in this bed_

_Not tonight, not tomorrow_

Not for the first time, Claire wished fervently for just one more moment. She wished she could have one moment to hold the other woman, to feel her lips against her skin and her body pressed against her own. Just one moment, and everything would go away. The heartache, the haunting memories, the doubt, the fear. Claire lived in a world where there were many things to fear, but nothing made her more afraid than the thought that Alice wouldn't be coming back. That she was alone, once and for all, in a world where the only thing she wanted was the one thing she couldn't have.

One moment. One kiss. One touch. One word. One...anything. Her eyes clenched shut, thought she knew no more tears would be coming. She had cried herself to sleep every night for seven long, cold months. She had nothing left to cry. But she wanted to. She wanted to break down and sob, like she used to, because sobbing was easier than feeling nothing. Sobbing gave her something to feel, something to hold onto.

She remembered the last time Alice had held her, as vivid and real as if it had just happened moments ago. The feel of those strong arms wrapping her in a protective cocoon, and those lethal hands tracing invisible patterns along the skin of her stomach. She remembered the whispering voice in her ear, telling her how much she was loved. She remembered how wonderful it had felt to finally be able to let her guard down because she knew she was safe in her lover's arms. She remembered how wonderful it felt to, for once, not have to be strong for Alice. Because Alice was strong for her.

_I've got the feeling that this will never cease_

_Living in these pictures_

_It never comes with ease_

_I swear that if I could make this right_

_You'd be back by now_

Claire finally ripped her eyes away from the stars, moving them, instead, to study the shadows of the dense forest. Her eyes narrowed, and she searched relentlessly, thought for what, she wasn't certain. No, that was a lie. She knew exactly what she was looking for...just as she knew it wouldn't come. But she studied nonetheless, as she had every single night since they had arrived, her eyes flicking to every shifting shadow and every stirring leaf. Even thought she knew it was foolish, she half expected the blond to appear any moment, in all of her glory, stepping proudly from the shadows with a smile on her face and love in her eyes. But, even thought she knew it was foolish, she couldn't help the flicker of hope that stirred within her every time she looked toward the forest.

Nor could she stop the sharp stab of disappointment every time she looked, and found nothing, only reassuring her that she was alone. Completely alone. Sure, there were many people who lived in the area, and Kmart was never far from her side, but she was every bit alone as she would have been if she was the last person alive.

Claire tortured herself, on a daily basis. Maybe, if she had done something different, Alice would be back by now. Maybe, if she had said the right things, or done the right things, Alice would never have left in the first place. She blamed herself, and she knew she was stupid because of it. She wasn't to blame, Alice was. _Alice _was. She knew this. Alice had been the one to leave her. Alice had been the one to send her away, without a backward glance. Alice had been the one to leave her alone.

_Tonight I'm screaming out to the stars_

_He knows he owes me a favor_

_It doesn't matter where you are_

_You'll be mine again_

She tried to tell herself she hated the blond. Hated her for leaving, hated her for everything she had ever told her, hated her for making Claire _feel _again. She had been perfectly happy, living the way she had, as an empty shell of a person. Even as she thought it, she knew it was a lie, but it was a lie she told herself nonetheless. Almost as soon as Alice had walked into her life, Claire had felt herself come _alive _again. She wasn't just surviving anymore; she was living. And the redhead told herself that it had nothing to do with the blond and everything to do with herself. But it was a lie. Just another lie she told herself, at the time. But she could lie to herself anymore, not about that anyway. Because as soon as Alice was gone, she had died again.

She tried to tell herself she hated the blond. But she knew she didn't. She could never hate Alice, not even a little. Even if the blond marched right up to her face, told her to grow up and fuck off, Claire would still love her. Love her with every ounce of _anything _she had in her. It was crazy, and ridiculous, but love wasn't meant to be sane and stable. It was volatile and unpredictable, and it did things to a person that left them marked for the rest of their lives. Claire wasn't just marked, she was scarred. How she felt for the blond didn't just scare her. It terrified her. Because she knew what it could do. I could destroy her. And it already was.

_I wish I can hear your voice_

_And don't leave me alone in this bed_

_I wish I could touch you once more_

_And don't leave me alone in this bed_

Movement caught her attention, though it wasn't the movement she yearned to see. For one, it didn't come from the forest; it originated from the doorway. Claire turned in time to see Kmart step toward her, a blanket in hand and a hesitant smile on her face. "I thought you might be cold," the teen commented, lightly laying the blanket around Claire's shoulders.

She was cold. But it had nothing to do with the freezing Alaskan air and everything to do with the weight in her chest. She wasn't just cold, she was freezing, borderline hypothermia. Only no amount of blankets and no fire could take away the cold she felt. Only one thing could. Alice. Her touch, her kiss, the sound of her voice and the love reflected in her startling blue eyes.

"Thanks," the redhead mumbled, shrugging her shoulders slightly against the weight of the fleece, even as Kmart moved to lean against the rail beside her. They spent a few moments in silence, which was fine for Claire, before the teen spoke up again.

"She'll come back. I know she will," the teen whispered reassuringly, her eyes connecting with Claire's. The redhead couldn't hold the contact long, though, and once more looked toward the shadows, ignoring the sting of the tears she thought she couldn't shed. _She has to...If she doesn't, I'll die._ The comforting weight of the teenager was pressed against Claire's side, and the redhead accepted what little relief she could from the contact, even if it wasn't the touch she was longing for. But, if she closed her eyes and thought hard enough, she could almost imagine it was Alice pressed against her, not Kmart. Almost.

They stayed that way for many more moments, Claire's eyes clenched shut against the barrage of emotions flooding through her while Kmart looked at the redhead, concern clear on her face. Finally, the teen decided that the redhead once more needed to be let alone, and left quietly, looking back only once before closing the patio door behind her. As soon as the sound reached Claire's ears, the woman released the breath she didn't even know she was holding, and the tension in her body drained.

_What about the plans that we had_

_We'd been crazy not to go_

_Meet me in capeside_

_I wish I can hear your voice_

_And don't leave me alone in this bed_

_I wish I could touch you once more_

_And don't leave me alone in this bed_

Claire once more found her eyes on the stars, studying the constellations Alice had long ago pointed out to her. Silence ensued, and her mind was once more in turmoil as a chill breeze swept across her face. But somehow, it felt different. It felt like fingers caressed her cheek, and she swore she could hear a voice whispering in her ear. A voice she knew more intimately than her Glock 17. It wasn't wind...

She felt the brushing of another presence across her mind, and her instant reaction was to recoil, but she forced herself still. The presence that filled her conscience was familiar. So, _so _familiar. _Impossible_, Claire thought, even as her eyes closed and a sigh escaped her mouth. Almost as soon as her eyes were closed, an image played in her mind, one that wasn't a memory. No, this was new. She felt a finger brush against her cheek, and the soft press of tender lips pressed against her own. Her breath caught in her throat at the intimacy of such a simple thing, and one hand lifted to touch the side of her face that still tingled from the invisible contact.

_'I'll always be there with you. I'll never be far, no matter how many miles separate us. I'll be here,'_ Claire felt the pressure of the other woman's hand as the words, this time a memory, replayed themselves in her mind, and she couldn't help the smile that curved her lips. _'I'll always be with you'. _Over and over again, the soft words repeated themselves in Claire's mind, even as she felt the psychic prescience of her lover enveloping her mind in a cocoon of safety and security, much as her arms once had.

"I love you," the words were barely a whispered, echoing in her mind and brushing against her ears. A voice so achingly familiar that Claire could almost see Alice standing in front of her as she whispered them. But, Alice didn't need to be there. Claire felt her, and that was all that mattered.

"Come back to me, Alice. I need you," the redhead whispered, sensing the smile that tugged at the other woman's beautiful, luscious lips.

"Soon, my love. Soon." And with that, Alice's presence was gone, retreating to wherever she had come from. Claire opened her eyes to find herself once more alone, but for once, she didn't care. She didn't fight back the wave of hope that engulfed her, nor did she stop the hand to once more reached up to trace the tingling Alice's phantom fingers had left behind.

For a second, Claire thought she had finally gone off the deep end, that all the emotional wreckage had finally caught up to her. But then, she remembered the feeling of hands on her face, and the image of Alice in her mind, and she nothing had ever felt so real. Alice might not have been here, but she had been _here_. There was no way her mind, no matter how cruel or deceptive, could have possible dreamt up such a thing.

And in that instant, all of her fears went away. All of her self-hatred and vulnerability were gone, and she was left knowing, in her heart, that Alice _did _love her, and she _was _coming back. Claire once more glanced between heaven and hell, her gaze lingering just a moment on the fiery gates and the evil that stood there in the form of her lover, and, without another glace back, turned toward heaven, rushing into the arms that would protect her from anything and everything the world had to offer. Into the arms of the one that was coming back to her.

**A/N**: When I began this, I wasn't crazy about doing the whole 'Claire vulnerable' thing. She just doesn't seem like the type to let things get to her like that. But, when you're in love, and you lose that person, you lost the will to be strong. I actually really enjoyed writing her in this kind of light. It really helps me see that she's a person, a vulnerable, lost person just like everyone else. And, I figured that she's been strong for five years. It's time for her to be able to be weak, even if it is when she's alone. I actually cried when writing this, and I hope it had a similar effect on you.

It's much longer than I would have expected, but sometimes I get in the writing zone and I just go crazy. So, please excuse the tons of needless rambling in there (I'm sure there is some somewhere xD)

Writing this kind of makes me want to write a reunion between the two of them. I never really meant for this fic to go past the two installments, but I just can't help myself. Maaaaybe I'll add more, maaaaaybe I won't. It all depends on the reviews I get ;]

Thanks for reading, and please _please _review!


	3. Always

**Disclaimer;** I do not own RE, their characters (though I wish I did...); their plot, theme or names, and I do not claim ownership to them. I also do not claim ownership to the song "Always" That's all Jon Bon Jovi and his awesomeness. However, I DO claim ownership to my writing, so please don't steal =)

**Authors Note;** You asked for it, and it's finally here. I really wanted to add Afterlife events into it, mostly Chris and _Arcadia _(which I changed to _Armada_) so the opening is mostly about that. Basically, just imagine Afterlife without Claire. It's a depressing thought, I know. Chris took her place in most of the important scenes, such as the executioner scene, so just imagine Afterlife without Claire, and Chris everywhere she's missing. Even more depressing... Obviously, for the sake of this installment, Jill never attacked with 40 odd Ospreys, and I'm just assuming that she's dead or…something.

The beginning of the fic starts out with Alice and Chris on Armada. Then, when the lyrics begin, the pov will alternate with each verse change. First you'll read Claire's pov, and then (when you see new lyrics) the pov will change to Alice, ect. Prepare for sap overload.

**Rating;** T+ for some strong language and suggestive adult content.

**Pair;** Alice x Claire

**Song;** "Always" Bon Jovi

The salty breeze stirred the woman's short brunette locks, and she closed her eyes against the sensation the ocean breeze caused. They were almost there...Alaska, the place where her heart was. They had sailed up and down the western seaboard for months, and Alice was getting sick of being at sea. The ship, The _Armada_, was large and spacious, but at the same time, it was stifling. She was never lacking for company, that was for sure. Even without the two-thousand passengers the ship housed, Chris was hardly ever far from her side.

Not that the man's presence was unwelcome. Chris was certainly one of a kind. He had a way of bringing out a side of her she had long ago reserved for those close to her, and Alice couldn't get over just how much he was like Claire. His quirky sense of humor never failed to bring a smile to her face.

The pair shared a closeness that wasn't all that uncommon in the end of the world, but it was certainly strange for Alice. But, then again, they had been through hell and back together. She had gotten him released from a jail cell; he had saved her from death at the end of a particularly gruesome looking axe-hammer; she had saved him from getting his head chopped off by that same axe-hammer; he had saved her from getting eaten by mutated undead Dobermans, and she had saved him from getting his ass kicked by mutated Wesker. It had bonded them, to say the least.

"I figured I would find you out here." Speak of the devil, and he shall appear. Alice couldn't help the smile that stretched her lips as the bulky man moved to her side and leaned against the ship's railing, mimicking her own stance. "Getting restless again?"

"We're almost there. What do you think?" the brunette shot back, though the words were devoid of malice. Chris only flashed his most charming smile, and she elbowed him with just a tad more force than she meant to in the side. He cringed, and her answer was a sympathetic grimace.

"You really don't know you're own strength," the ex-STARS agent commented, and he couldn't be more right.

Alice didn't know her body at all anymore. She didn't know her strength, her speed...nothing. She could still feel twinges every now and then, and a few experiments had proved that her telekinesis was still there, only horribly diminished. She still retained some of her accelerating healing abilities, if the already-healed hole in her arm left by Bennett had anything to say about it. The wound should have taken months to heal, at the least, but it had barely taken a week. Alice was just getting to know her new body...she had long forgotten what it had felt to be completely human, and she had adjusted to being super-human years before; now, she was stuck between worlds.

"Stop being a baby," Alice said with a small smile.

"So, how close are we," he asked as he rubbed his side, thought he already knew the answer. He, Luther, who had miraculously escaped the citadel without injury, and Alice took turns in the control room, monitoring the radio for any distress calls and making sure they were on track.

"We're a little less than fifty miles," The brunette replied, right on target. Fifty miles to Arcadia. Fifty miles to the source of her greatest hope and inspiration. Fifty miles to the resting place of her heart and soul. Just fifty miles.

"So...this convoy. Are there any hot women?" The ex-cop asked with a small smile which only grew as Alice shot him a look of death.

"There are hundreds of eligible, single women on this damn ship, and you're asking about the convoy?" the blond asked with silent disbelief. Chris never stopped surprising her, that was for sure. Another thing he had in common with Claire. Alice was almost sure that, if she wasn't already completely and utterly in love, and if he was a woman, she would be head over heels by now over the tall, dark and brooding ex-cop.

And it wasn't for lack of trying. Chris had practically flirted her to death in the restless months it had taken to sail up and down the coast picking up survivors. At first, it had driven her to the point of insanity, but now she just accepted his jibes and teased and flirted back. She knew nothing would ever come of it and, though the man certainly had his expectations, she had made it clear it just wasn't going to happen.

"Well? Are there?" he persisted, lightly nudging her shoulder.

Alice flashed him a small smile, and shrugged. "There are two, but don't even think about it. It's not happening."

"Why not?" The man's voice was distinctly disappointed, and it gave Alice cause to chuckle in the slightest.

"Well, one is way too young for the likes of you..." At this, one bushy eyebrow rose, and his lips curved in a delicate smirk. "And the other is already taken."

"Jealous type?" he asked curiously.

"Defiantly. Possessive, unstable, dangerous as hell," Alice commented with a knowing smirk, not bothering to mention that she was the one she described. Chris, however, ever the confident and arrogant flirt, marched on.

"Luckily for me, jealous, dangerous types don't scare me," he blustered confidently, glancing at Alice just in time to see her smirk grow in the slightest.

_Oh, but they should. You have no idea,_ the woman thought with hidden amusement, just waiting for the man's next stupid question.

"Well, I'm sure this guy wouldn't mind a little...friendly competition," he said, turning toward Alice as her smile grew. The brunette met his eyes, and Chris felt distinctly like he had missed something.

"You're right..." she replied, waiting for her companions pleased nod. "I wouldn't mind the competition at all." For perhaps the first time, Alice had managed to render Chris absolutely speechless.

* * *

_This Romeo is bleeding_

_But you can't see her blood_

_It's nothing but some feelings_

_That this old dog kicked up_

It was getting that time. Dinner had been eaten, and she had exchanged sparse conversation with Kmart, but the walls were once again beginning to close in on her. She knew her escape. Without another word to the teen, Claire stood from her respective chair at the kitchen table and moved toward the couch, grabbing the worn fleece blanket that was draped over the side before she headed to the door.

The cold still hadn't lost its effect on Claire. Years spent roving the desert had made her used to the stifling heat, and the cold, which should be a welcome change, was just retched. The blanket draped across her shoulders did little to keep the chill from seeping into her bones, but she pushed the thoughts from her mind and instead let herself get lost in the stars. By now, she could point out each perfect formation and recite its name. But, with her stargazing came her memories. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't make herself stop remembering, no more than she could stop herself from looking at the stars, or breathing. Alice was always on her mind, just like she was always in her dreams.

Claire sighed, marking out every star formation she could before she did it all over again.

It had been two years. Two years since she had last set eyes upon her lover, and Alice still hadn't returned to her. All those familiar fears had long begun creeping back into her mind, no matter how hard she tried to force them away. Had Alice forgotten about her? Had she found someone else...someone better? Did she not love her anymore? Did she...die?

Claire didn't know which was worse...thinking Alice had forgotten about her and moved on, or died. She thought she could handle not having the blond's love, as long as she knew she was alive...couldn't she? I mean, Alice being dead was worse than Alice not loving her anymore, right? Claire honestly didn't know...while not having the super-weapon's affection was defiantly crushing, she knew a world without Alice alive and well would kill her.

It had been two years...Two years since she had last heard her lover speak. But, that was a lie. She _had _seen Alice's face, and _she _had felt her touch and heard her voice. Soon, she had said. She would be coming back to her soon. Twenty-four months ago. How in the hell could that count as soon? She had to have faith...Alice had said she loved her, she had said she was coming back...and Claire clung to that hope with a desperation.

With a soft sigh, her eyes turned to the shadows, as they had every night for two long years, studying them just as intently as she studied the stars. There was no movement tonight...every night, she had seen the flickering of fireflies, or the shuffling of the underbrush as rodents scuttled about in their hidden dens. She had seen the slow, calculated movements of foxes stalking in the night, and she had seen the whoosh in the trees as owls watched the forest floor with eyes that missed nothing.

But tonight, nothing moved. No owls swooped from branch to branch, no mice shifted in the brush, no foxes stalked and no fireflies danced. Nothing...it was too quiet, too calm. A predator was stalking the night.

_It's been raining since you left me_

_Now I'm drowning in the flood_

_You see I've always been a fighter_

_But without you I give up_

By the time the _Armada _had made it to the shores of Alaska, it was dark. Alice slipped, unseen from the ship, taking one of the life boats to the shore. Her weapons rested securely in her holsters, and her face was set in its typical steely mask. Arcadia...they had finally made it. Now all she needed to do was find Claire. Her prefect, wonderful, beautiful Claire. She knew Chris would undoubtedly kill her for leaving without saying anything, or without back-up for that matter, but she had to see the redhead first...she couldn't let their first meeting after two long years happen in front of thousands of people.

She didn't know how, but somehow she just knew the redhead was here. Her powers were diminished to next to nothing, but she just...knew. It was like a thousand steel cables were pulling her against her will, and they were pulling her in one direction. She knew what that direction was; Claire.

Her steps were silent, her lithe body barely ghosting across the snow covered ground. The only sign of her passage was the indention of footprints it left behind, but those would soon be covered up by the breeze that shifted through the trees, and the evidence would disappear. She didn't exactly know where she was going, so she let her footsteps lead her. She trusted her body to take her where she needed to be.

And her body didn't fail her. Within moments, the sight of a cabin loomed before her. She paused in the shadows, watching as the light inside flickered and danced across the walls. She didn't know how long she stood there, watching, but soon enough the door opened, and a figure wrapped in a wool blanket stepped out. She moved to the railing and leaned against it, releasing a sigh as her eyes immediately turned to the stars. Alice didn't even need to look at the other woman to know who it was...

Claire never looked more beautiful than when she was bathed in moonlight...Alice had come to that conclusion long ago in the desert, and it still rang true now. Nothing about her lover had changed...Well, that was a lie. Her red hair was longer than it had once been, and the younger woman looked more hopeless and lost than Alice had ever seen her, but everything else was the same. Perfectly the same.

Alice could barely remember the last time she had felt those perfect lips beneath her own, of threaded her fingers through that silky red hair. She could barely remember the last time she had felt the redhead's smooth, soft skin beneath her hands. It had been too long. She shifted in the slightest, careful to keep her movement obscured, even though the redhead's eyes were focused on the stars. Without a thought, her own eyes traveled to the skies, pinpointing the constellations just as Claire did, and remembering the same moments they had spent sitting by a dying fire, cuddled in one another's embrace, doing the same thing.

Movement brought her attention back to her lover, and she instantly froze as Claire's eyes focused on the shadows. She could have sworn that, for a split second, the redhead's eyes had met her own. She couldn't possibly have imagined such a thing...Before she could process it, Claire pushed herself up from the railing. The look in her face was one of caution and fear, but before she could move to return to the safety of the cabin, Alice shifted, causing the branches of the shrub shielding her to rattle.

The redhead's eyes darted immediately in her direction, even as the brunette straightened and moved away from the bush. Her eyes immediately met Claire's, and her breath caught at the look that flashed across the redhead's face.

_I can't sing a love song_

_Like the way it's meant to be_

_Well, I guess I'm not that good anymore_

_But baby, that's just me_

She was on edge. The forest was too quiet. Something wasn't right. On impulse, she pushed herself away from the wooden railing of the deck, and, with one last look to the shadows, prepared to return to the cabin's stifling heat. But, right before she turned, the sound of rustling branches and movement caught her attention. She turned toward the source of the commotion, her eyes narrowing in concentration. And then, a ghost appeared before her. Behind the very bush that had caught her attention, the figure of a woman straightened, and brilliant cerulean eyes met her own. Claire was sure, in that instant, her heart stopped. Her mouth went painfully dry, and her temperature must have skyrocketed. This couldn't be right...this had to be her imagination.

She had been waiting for this very moment for eighteen months. She came outside every night and studied the shadows waiting for this very moment. She had imagined it a thousand times and a thousand different ways, and replayed those images twice as many times. Alice would appear from the shadows, smile at her and open her arms. She would jump over the railing and run to her lover's arms, finally safe and protected...finally loved. They would kiss and cry and Alice would apologize. She would say she was sorry too, but none of that would matter because they were finally together again.

She had imagined it a thousand times and a thousand different ways, but imagining it wasn't the same as it happening.

This couldn't be real. It couldn't possibly be a reality. No, it was just another cruel trick of her imagination, just as the thousand other times and the thousand other ways had been. She was just tired...that was it. Tired. A simple enough explanation, and one that didn't have her stomach in knots, her heart dancing wildly in her chest and her jaw hanging slack from shock. It was just her imagination, a vision brought on by lack of sleep. It had to be...

But there was no mistaking those blue eyes. There was no mistaking the emotion they held as they looked at her like she was the last thing living. There was no mistaking it.

"A...Alice." The name was spoken as a strangled cough, and before she could even process another though or force another word from her mouth, her legs were giving way beneath her. She inwardly braced herself for the stinging sensation of hard wood biting into her knees, but the feeling never came. Instead, she felt something else, something much more welcome. Something she needed more than she needed air.

Alice was there in a second, her strong, capable arms wrapping around her just before she hit the ground. Together, the pair sank to the deck, Claire delicately cradled against Alice's chest. No, this wasn't her imagination. The feel of those arms around her, of that body pressed against her own was too real. Everything came crashing down on her in an instant; the months of waiting and wanting, the countless nights spent crying until exhaustion claimed her, the endless memories that replayed over and over in her head.

She broke.

Tears flooded her eyes, and muted sobs escaped her. She buried her head in Alice's chest, breathing in the smell of her between gasping breaths, and she had never remembered smelling something so sweet. She was dimly aware of Alice stroking her hair and rocking her body back and forth, but she could hear the voice in her ear as clear as day. Alice. Her Alice was finally back. She was home...The cabin had never been her home...sure, she had lived there for two years, but it was never home. There was only one place she had been able to call home, and it was wrapped up in Alice's arms.

_And I will love you, baby - Always_

_And I'll be there forever and a day - Always_

_I'll be there till the stars don't shine_

_Till the heavens burst and_

_The words don't rhyme_

_And I know when I die, you'll be on my mind_

_And I'll love you - Always_

She had never thought hearing her name would sound so sweet, even if it was barely spoken. She took a moment to savor the sound of it on Claire's lips, even as she noticed the other woman's legs giving way beneath her. She moved in a flash, clearing the deck rail with one easy leap and grasping the redhead just as she fell. Easily, gently, she sank to the deck, holding the woman against her as if she was the last treasure in the world. And she was...she was precious.

She clung to the redhead as if her life depended on it, holding her tight as the tears rushed forth, months and months of emotional baggage finally catching up to her. Alice simply held her, cradled her gently against her battle-hardened body. Soon, she began rocking, the movements meant to be soothing to them both, and one hand lifted to gently caress the gorgeous red locks she absolutely adored so very very much.

"Shh. I'm here, Claire. I'm here, baby." She kept repeating the words over and over again, not knowing what else to say. The sound of the door opening brought her attention to the cabin, and Alice was immediately faced with a very shocked Kmart. Before she had a chance to react, the teenagers face adopted an absolutely thrilled look. At least, until she spotted Claire sobbing in the brunette's arms. Alice offered her a small smile, shaking her head in the slightest. Kmart got the hidden message and once more retreated into the cabin, knowing they would have their own reunion soon enough.

As the interruption left, Alice turned her entire attention back to the woman she cradled against her body, and she buried her head in the redhead's silky locks. Without warning, her own tears began to spill, flooding her eyes and trailing down her cheeks to disappear into threads of fiery hair. She couldn't hold them back even if she wanted to, and at the moment she didn't want to. It seemed months of emotional baggage had caught up to her as well. One could, after all, only lock up everything inside for so long until everything came crashing down, and holding Claire in her arms again after two years of dreaming exactly that was the last straw.

She didn't know how long they cried, or how long she held Claire. All she knew was the other woman clung back with a desperation that matched her own, and neither needed to say that they would die if they were separated again. It had taken Alice two years - two long, lonely years - and holding the woman she loved in her arms again for her to realize that she would do anything before she caused the redhead an ounce of pain ever again.

When she had first left, she had told herself that it was for the better. As she watched the helicopter lift off the ground and leave her behind, she told herself that it was safer this way...With Umbrella still running, she would never be safe, and so leaving Claire had been for her own good. But now she realized it hadn't. It had nearly destroyed them both. Alice didn't necessarily regret her actions...in the two years of separation, she had destroyed almost every Umbrella complex left running, killed Wesker and managed to find and help the last remaining survivors, but none of that amounted to the feeling of complete and utter happiness to be able to hold Claire again.

She knew, in that instant, she would do anything...anything possible to make herself worthy of the redhead. She would do anything Claire ever asked of her. The cold, callous, distant attitude she had once more adopted in their time apart would have to go. Claire deserved more than that...she deserved so much more than Alice had to offer. She deserved more than being abandoned for two long, cold years, and the brunette would spend the rest of her now-mortal life making it up to her.

_Now your pictures that you left behind_

_Are just memories of a different life_

_Some that made us laugh, some that made us cry_

_One that made you have to say goodbye_

"Alice..." Soon, the tears stopped, and she became intensely aware of the arms that were wrapped around her. Her mind could barely process the feeling...so many nights spent wishing for this very thing, and it was finally here. She couldn't remember what it felt like to lie in Alice's embrace, to feel her lips pressed against her own, or have her hands wander along her body. And she wanted to remember. She wanted to take an eternity to relearn all the most sensitive spots in Alice's body. She wanted to relearn the feeling of Alice's skin pressed tightly against her own. She wanted to relearn it all.

But not yet...

Like a phoenix rising from the ashes of grief and desperation, Claire was back. The rage and anger that followed were a welcome change from the heartache, and she embraced them full force.

In that instant, she pushed away from the blond- scratch that, the brunette. The other woman's arms feel away from her instantly, and she pushed back the sharp pang of regret at the loss of their warmth. The rejected look on Alice's face was enough to almost make Claire's resolve break, but she held firm. She stood, brushing the wrinkles from her clothes, even as Alice did the same, slower and with something akin to caution. The stood still for many moments, simply drinking in the sight of the other. Claire couldn't stop the flutter in her stomach as Alice's gaze brushed over her, and she forced back the almost physical need to feel those arms around her again.

"Alice," she repeated, with more force than before. The words held a tint of malice, but the redhead couldn't bring herself to actually feel anything like it toward her lover.

"Claire..." The word was spoken as a hesitant whisper, and the redhead couldn't miss the pain in the brunette's voice even if she wanted to. The sound of her name being spoken, a sound she had longed to hear for so very long, brought new life to her silent heart. It wasn't dead anymore...it was pounding in her chest, threatening to break her rib cage with its force.

"Two years, Alice. Two _fucking _years," Claire wasted no time in breaking the ice, almost desperate to get the harshness and berating out of the way so they could move on to bigger and better things...like relearning. At her words, however, the older woman broke their eyes and casted them to the wooden planks of the deck, unable to handle the smolder in the burning green depths.

"I know..." As before, the words were spoken as a whisper. Before Claire could say anything else, the brunette spoke again, her words just as soft and just as tentative. "You know why I had to leave..." As if those few words could pass for an explanation...

"Yeah, Alice, I know why you had to leave. I know you had your do your 'duty', or whatever the fuck you want to call it, but you _stayed _away. For two years, Alice, you stayed away." There was no hiding the hurt this had caused her. It was reflected too easily in her eyes and voiced too easily in her words. "I had no idea where you were or what you were doing...I didn't even know if you were alive," the redhead whispered brokenly.

She didn't know what to do with herself. Her eyes darted around uselessly, resting anywhere but Alice. Her hands twitched at her sides, and she couldn't decide whether to place them in her pockets, or cross them over her chest...She longed more than anything to thread them through her lover's smoky brown locks, or run them along her arms. She longed more than anything to stare into those crystal blue eyes until eternity took her.

She might have forgotten what those lethal hands could do against her skin, or what her soft lips felt like pressed against her own, but one thing Claire could never forget was Alice's eyes. She knew them as intimately as she knew her Glock, if not more so. They were brilliant blue, as vibrant as the sky right after a violent storm, but, just around the pupil was a ring of dark olive green and, just outside of that was burst of lighter green. Flecks of brown occasionally dotted the iris, and the very outside was ringed with the darkest of blues. Oh yes, Claire had seen those beautiful eyes every time she closed her own, and she would never forget them. So why couldn't she look at them now?

_What I'd give to run my fingers through your hair_

_To touch your lips, to hold you near_

_When you say your prayers try to understand_

_I've made mistakes, I'm just a woman_

She expected bitterness, and she welcomed it with open arms. No matter how much she wanted to draw Claire into her arms, to hold her and never let go, she knew she deserved this. Claire had a right to hate her, to yell at her and to beat her. Two years, Alice had stayed away. Two years, she had been all around the world, except Alaska. For two years, she had kept them apart.

She knew Claire would be bitter. She knew Claire would be angry, and she had braced herself for that. But, even though she knew it was coming, nothing could prepare her for the pain that shot through her at the accusation, at the _venom _in the redhead's words. With that venom and that accusation, though, Alice could hear fear, she could hear pain and desolation. It seemed two years alone hadn't only left her broken and wanting.

Even as they traded words, Alice's eyes couldn't leave Claire. She noticed how the other woman avoided her gaze at all cost, but she studied the redhead as if her life depended on it and, in a way, it did. Her life, her soul _depended _on taking in every breath-taking, perfect feature. It depended on tracing every line and freckle. Her _sanity _depended on relearning everything. And, every second her eyes lingered on her lover's immaculate face, the more she felt the darkness seep away from her soul.

Two years ago, Claire had saved her...saved her from the loneliness, from the guilt, from the hate. She had saved her from _herself_. She had brought her into the light, taught her how to live again. How to love again. When they were separated, the shadow had once more crept into her heart, and she had once more adopted her coldness. Just being around the redhead again, even if it was faced with her rage, she could once more feel the shadows losing their hold.

"I'm not." She said softly as Claire spoke her latest words, the simple emotion expressed in the phrase enough to feel like a knife in her heart. "I'm alive, and I'm here." The words were supposed to be soothing, to take away the redhead's heartache, but it seemed to do the opposite.

"For how long, Alice?" It was practically a snarl, and for the first time, Claire met her eyes. Her heart pounded in her chest at the simple gesture, and she tried furtively to gain control of it. "How long do I get to be with you this time? How long until you run away again?" They were accusations disguised in the form of questions. "Maybe next time, you won't come back."

At that, Alice felt the need to act. She moved forward quickly, and, if the railing hadn't been at her back, she knew Claire would have taken a step back. But she didn't hesitate. If anything, it spurred her on. It made her desperate to prove that she wasn't going anywhere. "No, Claire. I'll never leave you again." This seemed to be enough to ease some of the tension in the redhead's body, but only a little. "I'll always come back to you."

"I can't...I can't lose you again." In all her time, Alice had never seen Claire be anything resembling vulnerable, and watching it now brought forth a protectiveness more intense that she had never experienced before. In a split second, she lifted her arms to grab Claire's, and, with a gentle tug, the redhead came willingly into her embrace. The brunette gave a soft, contented sigh as the younger woman pressed against her. Her arms tightened, desperate to make this embrace last as long as possible.

"You won't. I'm here...I'm here because you saved me."

_Yeah, I will love you baby - Always_

_And I'll be there forever and a day - Always_

Nothing felt better than being in her arms again. She wanted desperately to fight against the hold, to rage and rant and bitch until she said everything she had wanted to in the last two years. She wanted more than anything to push Alice away and scream at her for leaving, to scream at her for not coming back. But as soon as she was in the brunette's arms, as soon as those muscular, sculpted and lethal appendages wrapped around her, she couldn't do anything but cling back.

She sank into that comforting embrace. Her head rested against Alice's chest, like she had dreamed of so many times. Her own arms wrapped around Alice's slender, sculpted waist, just as she had dreamed so many times. She breathed in Alice's scent, and the older woman's heartbeat pounded in her ears, just as she had dreamed _so _many times. The feel of Alice's breath against her neck and stirring her hair had the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end, and an answering shiver went down her spine. Claire knew it had nothing to do with the cold night air and everything to do with the woman wrapped in her arms.

She took a moment to simply relax, to lose herself in her lover's warmth. Her buzzing thoughts ceased their incessant repetition, and for the first time in two long years, she felt free. Free of the prison she had made inside of her own head, free of the chains that bound her to the never-ending fear and heartache. She had Alice back, and that was all that mattered.

_You saved me._

No, Alice had saved her. Alice had saved her from surviving. The day she had walked into her life, under a cloud of fire and ash, Claire couldn't deny the force she had felt in the other woman. At first, she had been threatened by it, threatened and afraid. And one night, with a simple conversation about motorcycles and a few shared smiles and laughs, all that fear and intimidation had disappeared leaving her with nothing but curiosity.

At least, she thought it had been curiosity. Only too soon, she figured out how wrong she was. That curiosity was actually attraction. Pure, raw attraction. It didn't take long for the blond to worm her way into her every thought. Claire could still remember their first kiss as plain as day, and it had awoken in her something long dead; her drive. Yes, Alice had saved her. Instead of just surviving, the redhead had gone back to _living_.

"Promise me you'll never leave again," she whispered, needing to hear those words more than anything. She needed to know Alice say it, because she knew the blond never broke a promise.

She wasn't disappointed.

"I promise." The words were spoken fervently, and Claire felt the arms around her tighten in the slightest. She couldn't bear another separation, and the tone in her lover's voice told her that Alice felt the same.

_If you told me to cry for you_

_I could_

_If you told me to die for you_

_I would_

She felt relief...as raw and pure as anything she had ever felt before. Relief that the woman she cradled against her was forgiving her. Relief that everything was over, and she could finally have some semblance of a normal life...that _they _could have some semblance of a normal life. She spent what seemed like an eternity just holding the redhead, reveling in the feel of her young, lithe body pressed against her own. She soaked in the smell of Claire's hair, and the feel of her pulse beating strongly against her own. Claire clung back, and that in itself was a small miracle.

Alice gave a sigh of contentment, her arms tightening just a bit as she buried her face into the redhead's gorgeous, silky locks. The woman's hair was like warm silk against her cheek, and in that moment, the world stopped spinning. Nothing mattered, nothing except her and Claire, and she could have stayed like that forever. Claire, it seemed, couldn't. The younger woman pulled away, their eyes meeting instantly. They spent a moment simply staring at one another, drinking in every detail to soothe the raging thirst of their parched souls.

Claire slowly lifted her hands, framing the brunette's face in her palms before gently pulling her closer. Alice didn't need much coaching, and the pair kept their eyes glued to one another right up to the point where their lips brushed ever so gently together. It was with little surprise that she discovered the redhead was trembling, and she didn't need to be told that it had nothing to do with the cold.

Within moments, the kiss deepened, Alice's tongue brushing against Claire's bottom lip, silently begging for entrance. The redhead complied, and an epic battle soon began, each woman vying for dominance in the other's mouth. Many moments later, breathless, they pulled apart, the brunette leaning her forehead against the younger woman's. They both kept their eyes closed, neither in a hurry to end the perfect moment.

"I feel like this is a dream," Alice breathed hoarsely, her breath fogging as soon as the vapors clashed with the cold air, and Claire replied with a slightly breathless laugh.

"I pray that it's not. If I wake up and find it was, I think I'll die." The words were a whisper, pained and desperate.

"It can't be a dream..." Alice protested, softly yet with intensity. "I couldn't possibly be so happy in a dream."

"I couldn't possibly be so happy period," Claire whispered in return, pulling Alice's lips back to her own. This time, they kept their kiss chaste and tender.

"I promised I would come back to you," Alice whispered fervently, pulling the redhead close once again. She couldn't see the younger woman's smile, but she didn't need to.

"Come on," Claire said after a few seconds, grasping her hand and twining their fingers together. "It's too cold out here."

With that, the redhead turned and moved toward the door, pulling the brunette along with her. Alice went, willingly, her fingers clenching in the slightest.

_Take a look at my face_

_There's no price I won't pay_

_To say these words to you_

They barely made it past the threshold before a very excited Kmart hurled herself at Alice. Claire's fingers remained firmly locked with the brunette's, which made her return embrace slightly difficult, but there was no way she was letting go. Alice took the embrace with ease, but her fingers clenched just as firmly to the redhead's, not wanting to let go either, it seemed. After the initial greeting was over, the trio moved toward the living room area, the couple sitting comfortably on the small couch, as close as humanly possible, while Kmart plopped down on the carpeted floor in front of them.

The feeling of Alice's thigh pressed against her own was more than Claire could have hoped for, and it set her entire body on fire. Unfortunately for her, Kmart had a plethora of questions that apparently had to be satisfied, and the redhead had to admit, they were things she wanted to know too.

"Where have you been?" the teen asked, her tone more melancholy than enthusiastic. Both women looked expectantly toward the brunette, and Alice took a deep breath before she answered.

"I did what I set out to do. Umbrella has been all but destroyed. Wesker is dead." The words were spoken with such perfect, brutal clarity that both Claire and Kmart were rendered speechless.

"That...that's amazing!" Kmart exclaimed happily. Alice's only reply was only a smile, and she turned to look at the redhead beside her. Claire was silent, but the look on her face said it all. She wanted to say something, so the brunette remained silent.

"So...so you don't have to run anymore?" It was a whisper, dreamy and wistful. Alice smiled, and Claire felt her heart sink at the sight of it. It seemed so long since she had seen Alice smile.

"No. I don't have to run anymore." She was unprepared for the wave of utter relief that flooded her, so strong it left her feeling slightly nauseous. Despite her lover's words on the porch, Claire hadn't been able to shake the feeling that it was too good to be true, and that Alice would be leaving her again.

"You're going to stay with us? For good this time?" Kmart asked the question Claire couldn't, and Alice's brilliant smile was the only answer she needed.

"For good this time." As she spoke the words, her eyes locked firmly with Claire's, and she could see the silent promise locked in the icy blue depths. Kmart's excited squeal, however, was enough to leave both women slightly def.

"Jesus, K!" Claire exclaimed immediately, bringing one hand up to cup her ear. Alice laughed at the guilty look on the teenager's face, and Claire couldn't help but join it. She reveled in the feeling of laughing, and hearing the brunette's raspy chuckle dancing in tune with her own, more throaty one. It had been a small eternity since either of them had laughed, and the fact that they shared the moment together only made it all the sweeter.

Alice had never been so at peace...well, that was a lie. She had been, on many occasions, whether it be wrapped up in Claire's arms as they held each other after making love or simply standing before her, holding her hands and gazing into her sparkling, mischievous green eyes. But she hadn't truly been at peace in two long, desolate years, and she took a moment to simply soak it all up. For a moment, as she looked at Claire, both of them grinning like fools in the aftermath of their laughter, Kmart was forgotten, and it was just them.

"There's more," she said after a few moments, flicking her eyes to the teenager as the two most important people in her life fell silent, looking at her expectantly. "I..." she paused, uncertain as to how she would tell them of her latest...condition, but the slight clench of Claire's hand, still holding desperately onto her own, pressured her on. "I'm human." Her confession left both of them speechless, and Claire's brow furrowed.

"You're human..." she repeated, her voice barely more than a whisper."How?" There was no disappointment lingering there, and Alice was glad.

She would never admit to the redhead, or anyone else for that matter, but Umbrella hadn't been the only reason she had left the convoy those years ago. She had been terrified, deathly afraid of never growing old. Of watching Claire waste away before her eyes while she remained ever youthful. Or worse...watching Claire die before her eyes when she would live forever. Now, those fears were long placated. She could grow old with the woman she loved, and she could die in her arms. The thought was morbid, but nothing made her happier.

"When I first found Wesker..." she began, looking from the teenager to the redhead, "he injected me with a serum that neutralized the T-cells in my body. It made me human again." She didn't know what she was expecting from the confession...maybe regret or distress. She wasn't, however, expecting happiness.

"That's amazing!" Claire exclaimed, leaning forward to place a soft, chaste kiss on the brunette's lips before pulling her into a hug. Alice went all too happily into the embrace, closing her eyes and burying her head in the younger woman's fiery hair. Kmart's giggle brought them both back to reality, and they reluctantly pulled apart, Claire's lips wearing a small, sheepish smile that made her look oh-so-kissable.

"That's not all..." Alice said after another moment, giving both girls cause to be surprised once more.

"I don't think I can take many more surprises," Kmart added, flashing Claire a conspiratory grin.

"I found survivors." She barely got the word out before Claire was all over it, her eyes wide.

"How many? Where? When?" Before she could ask any more questions, Alice's soft laugh cut her off.

"Last count was two-thousand-one-hundred and seventy-three." Her confession left both of them speechless and silent from shock.

"I...I never imagined there would be so many of us left," the redhead said after a few moments. Her eyes had fallen away from Alice's, but they lifted to clash once more. "I think you have some explaining to do."

Alice smirked, and, taking a deep breath, said: "Let me start from the beginning..." Thus, she recounted all her exploits, explaining everything that had happened after she had left them in Nevada: Her clones, taking out the Umbrella complexes, their trip to Tokyo, her first encounter with Wesker, her experience in the Las Angeles Citadel and their epic escape, the discovery of the survivors held on an Umbrella research vessel, her second encounter and battle with Wesker, the evil chairmen's death and finally, their trip to Alaska.

By the time she finished, it was well into the night, and both Claire and Kmart were stunned by everything the brunette had been through. She didn't voice it, but Alice could see the angst in Claire's eyes, and she knew the redhead regretted not being with her through everything. She placed a calming hand on the redhead's thigh, and Claire flashed her a small smile.

"K," Alice began, her eyes trailing to the teenager for the barest of moments, making sure she had her complete attention before continuing. "I think it's time for bed."

"I don't have a bedtime! I'm sixteen for God's sakes!" Kmart protested, not at all tired and wanting to hear more about everything that had happened in their separation. Alice's next glance, however, invalidated her protests, and the teenager realized the couple's need to be alone. She grumbled, even as she complied with Alice's request. The brunette's answering smile was vibrant, and Claire turned toward her with a mischievous grin.

"There are some ear plugs in the kitchen drawer," Claire teased with a wink, even as Alice laughed and Kmart's face clenched in a look of disgust.

"I so don't wanna know!" Kmart shot over her shoulder as she made a hasty retreat to the stairs that led to the bedrooms on the second floor, stopping in the kitchen to grab said earplugs before making herself scarce.

_Well, there ain't no luck_

_In these loaded dice_

_But baby if you give me just one more try_

_We can pack up our old dreams_

_And our old lives_

_We'll find a place where the sun still shines_

Finally alone, Claire turned back to Alice, just in time to see her shake her head and smile widely. "What," the redhead protested with a smirk, "I was just giving her fair warning." She had no intentions of spending her first night reunited with Alice alone in an empty, cold bed. No, she planned on filling that bed with smoky brown hair, soft blue eyes and a body she would gladly kill for.

"Do I look like I'm complaining?" The brunette answered with a smile that left Claire's stomach in knots, and, without another word, both leaned forward. This kiss, unlike the others before it, was hungry and passionate, rough and demanding. Two years of sexual tension was catching up with them, and they both planned on spending the night alleviating it.

Claire was the first to pull away, breathless, and the grin she passed the brunette was just as mischievous as her first. She grabbed Alice's hand and stood, pulling the older woman with her. "You, missy, have seven-hundred and thirty-seven long, cold nights to make up for."

Alice chuckled, pulling the redhead's young, lithe body plush against her own, wrapping her arms around her waist. Claire's in turn, lifted to circle her neck, and she buried her face into the redhead's nape, placing a soft kiss on the deliriously warm flesh. "You've been counting?" It wasn't all that big of a surprise...she had been counting too, only the redhead was wrong. It had been seven-hundred and thirty-_nine _long, cold nights, but there was no way in hell she was going to correct her.

"Oh yes. Just so I could punish you for it when you came back. And lo-and-behold, here you are." The sarcasm in her voice was evident, and neither was surprised by how easily two years of heart-ache had been forgotten.

"You know how much I _love _to be punished," Alice drawled seductively. Claire's smile was evil and devious, and the brunette found herself slightly worried. That is, until one of Claire's hands dropped from around her neck and snaked between her legs, cupping her through her pants. She exhaled sharply, her breath catching from the jolts that ran like wildfire through her body.

Claire chuckled. "I'm well aware..." the redhead's heated voice sounded in her ear, the feel of her breath brushing against her ear doing nothing to alleviate the fire consuming her. "And I plan on taking full advantage of it...and you."

The promise in her words made Alice wild, and she didn't have a chance to even think about replying before Claire was tugging her rather forcefully toward the stairs.

_And I will love you, baby - Always_

_And I'll be there forever and a day - Always_

_I'll be there till the stars don't shine_

_Till the heavens burst and_

_The words don't rhyme_

_And I know when I die, you'll be on my mind_

_And I'll love you - Always _

As they lay naked together after many hours of 'punishment', a tangle of limbs and blankets, lost in the warmth of one another's bodies, Alice couldn't help but feel pretty damn lucky. Claire lay tight in her embrace, her head resting on one of Alice's arms even as the other was wrapped around her slim waist. One lazy hand moved over the younger woman's red hair, her fingers threading through the locks in a constant motion that had always soothed her. Claire resulted to placing lazy kisses on her collar bone, and Alice's body was tingling delightfully.

"I missed you," Claire whispered after many moments of comfortable, lethargic silence, prompting a lazy smile to curve Alice's lips.

"I missed you too."

"You shouldn't have left." Unlike before, there was no accusation in the words. Only regret. Alice pulled back in the slightest, their eyes locking for an instant before she covered the redhead's lush lips with her own.

"I know..." she whispered as soon as they parted, snuggling even closer. "I'm sorry." She had apologized already, and she would continue to do so for the rest of her now wonderfully mortal life if the redhead asked it of her.

"Don't be. You've done so much...You've been through so much," the younger woman mumbled against Alice's pale shoulder. "I just wish I could have been there with you."

There was no mistaking the anguish in her voice, the disappointment that she wasn't with Alice through every battle and life-or-death situation she had been in, and the brunette felt the need to put her at ease. "You were. You were with me every second. The thought of you, the thought of coming back to you was the only thing that kept me going most of the time."

Her confession left Claire slightly speechless, and it warmed her heart even if it didn't take away her regret. "I love you."

"I love you." At the words, she felt the younger woman quiver in her embrace, as if she lived to hear those very words, and Alice's arms tightened in the slightest. "You're the very heart of me. Never forget it."

"Never."

They spent many moments in silence before Alice spoke again, almost fearing Claire was already asleep. "So, did I make up for seven-hundred and thirty-seven long, cold nights?"

There was no mistaking the teasing in her voice, and Claire's lips curved against her shoulder, alerting her of the redhead's very much awake state. "It was a start." The brunette pulled back in the slightest, one perfect eyebrow arched upward. Claire simply laughed, her green eyes twinkling with mirth. "A very good start, granted, but a start nonetheless."

"If you'll let me, I'll spend the rest of my life making up to you," the brunette whispered in return, earning another brilliant smile.

"Always."

**Parting Word:** Talk about sap overload! I hope you guys liked that, because after Someone Like You and The End, I needed something happy and romantic to write. I've been typing up too much manically depressive stuff lately! Anyway, this isn't the last installment, so stay with me guys! Remember, the faster you review, the faster I update ;D


	4. Love Song

_Whenever I'm alone with you_

_You make me feel like I am home again_

_Whenever I'm alone with you_

_You make me feel like I am whole again_

Alice awoke before Claire did. She smiled down at the redhead nestled closely in her embrace. She realized that this was the first time she had ever awoken next to the younger woman in an actual bed, and the feeling was spectacular. She wanted to spend an eternity reveling in the feeling, but she had little time. She was sure that Chris had been awake for many hours - he was an earlier riser than she was - and she was just as sure that he had long-discovered she was gone.

She was going to be in trouble.

But even with all these conclusions, she couldn't resist soaking in the feeling of just holding Claire, watching her when she slept, looking so perfectly beautiful. She was loathe to wake her, but she knew without a doubt that if she slipped away, if by any small chance she wasn't here when Claire woke up, she was in way more trouble than anything Chris could dream up.

"Claire, baby..." she said softly, one hand shaking the younger woman's shoulder. "Wake up." Claire groaned, her face clenching into an unpleasant grimace, but even then she looked beautiful. "Come on, baby, I have to go."

That seemed to do the trick.

Claire's eyes snapped open, a look of rage and panic curiously mingled as she gazed into the brunette's bright blue eyes. "What?" she hissed, trying to get her angry point across while simultaneously being quiet enough not to wake Kmart down the hall.

Alice couldn't resist a smile, but it was the complete wrong reaction. Claire's face turned red, her eyes narrowing. "I have to get back to the ship. Before anyone realizes I'm gone," the brunette mumbled in way of an explanation.

"Why?" the redhead complained, snuggling closer to the older woman's warmth. "Can't you just stay for a little while..." Alice knew where the complaint was really stemming from...Claire didn't want her out of her sight so soon after being reunited, and she completely felt the same, but still...she had obligations.

"I'll be back. I promise...before you even realize I'm gone."

"I doubt that. I miss you already." Alice chuckled at the redhead's comment, not even bothering to try and contain the swell of emotion that welled up in her at the words. Gently, she tilted Claire's face toward her own and brushed their lips together.

"I have to..." It was practically a plea now, and Claire grumbled.

"Fine. But if you're not back by nightfall, I'm coming to find you, and when I do, you're gonna be in trouble."

Alice smiled, unable to resist kissing the redhead again. "I'll do you one better," she replied, earning a raised, auburn eyebrow. "I'll be back by mid-afternoon."

**::::::::**

_Whenever I'm alone with you_

_You make me feel like I am young again_

_Whenever I'm alone with you_

_You make me feel like I am fun again_

By the time Alice made it back to her life boat and to the _Armada_, she had already been away from Claire for an hour, and it was an hour too long. It was torture, watching the woman she loved fade into the distance, and they both felt the weight of it. Alice could tell just from the distraught look on Claire's face. It was the desert all over again, and they both were thinking it.

As she pulled the boat up to the dock latched onto the side of the ship, Chris was waiting for her. His scowl was something out of horror movies, and his arms were crossed indiginatly across his chest. Gods, did he look like Claire when she was mad. His piercing green eyes were shooting daggeres at her, and if Alice was anyone but Alice, she was sure she could be recoiling from it. She didn't however. She met his steely glare head on, with a calm serenity that unnerved him.

"Where the hell have you been?" He interrogated, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly as a small smile curved her lips.

"Scouting."

He could hear the amusement in her voice. "Bull shit, scouting. You went to see this convoy of yours." And she could hear the anger in his.

"So what if I did? It's none of your damn business." She was back to deadly calm, but Chris knew her well enough by now to know that that was when she was most dangerous.

"None of my business? Alice, how do you expect to keep these people safe if you're gone! What if Umbrella had attacked!" She couldn't resist a snort at this, and flashed him a disbelieving glance.

"Umbrella is destroyed. The only complex left running was this ship, and Wesker is dead." She had him there, and they both knew it.

Chris sighed in exasperation, but he knew well enough to let the subject drop. "So, since you came back, I'm guessing it's safe enough to being the ship inland?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. Didn't really check out the entire island. My...scouting...was rather limited." She replied matter-of-factly.

"Limited to what?"

_Claire's body..._Alice thought with a smirk, but, instead of replying, she brushed past him and climbed the steps to the deck.

**::::::::**

_However far away I will always love you_

_However long I stay I will always love you_

_Whatever words I say I will always love you_

_I will always love you_

It took Chris, Alice and Luthur another three hours to get everything situated. They had split the two-thousand some-odd passengers into groups consisting of 200 people a group, since they only had enough life boats to carry two-hundred at a time. The first group milled onto the deck, trampled down the stairs and piled into the four life boats that had been the only ones left on the ship after the crew had abandoned it. The four men the trio had appointed to drive the boats back and forth sat at their respective propellers, ready for the call to head off.

Alice and Chris were to accompany the first two-hundred to shore while Luthur stayed behind on the boat to prepare the next group for their turn. Once they made land and got the first group situated, Alice would stay behind while Chris went back to the _Armada_. Alice would see to getting the landed survivors situated, with the help of Claire, and Chris would make supervise the transport.

The ship, once it was empty, would be moved to the large cove between the mainland and the large island that would be the survivors new home. Power would, obviously, be shut down, but the trio had agreed - and Claire had later agreed as well - that the ship was too valuable to lose. If something ever happened, the ship would provide an escape, and it was simply too valuable to lose now.

The wind brushed against Alice's face as they headed toward the shore. Her lifeboat was the one in the lead, and from the closeness, she could barely make out the forms of people standing on the beach. The most noticeable was a redhead who, even at this distance, Alice could tell had an arm slung around the shoulders of a shorter blond. A smile immediately stretched her lips. _My girls..._she thought happily, her eyes refusing to leave the pair even as they drew closer and closer.

The closer they got, the more apparent Claire and Kmart's wide smiles became, and Alice couldn't help the swell of happiness she felt just seeing it. She was home...she was reunited with her family, after so many months of separation, and the feeling couldn't have been more liberating.

She didn't even wait for tact as the boat eased onto the gravel beach; she simply flung herself from the boat, jogged the distance between her and Claire and, the redhead meeting her half-way, took her in her arms. "I missed you," Claire whispered against her ear. Alice smiled and clung even tighter, lifting the redhead easily off her feet and spinning her around like she had seen so many times in old-timey movies.

The redhead's laughter ran out sweet and clear, and Alice's heart soared at the sound of it. Finally, knowing she was creating a scene, she gently placed the smaller woman to her feet, and the pair reluctantly pulled apart.

A few feet away, Chris stood, his jaw slack and his hands hanging limply at his sides, watching the pair before him. Well, his eyes were focused more solidly on the redhead, but he occasionally flashed a glance to Alice as well. _This can't be...it's impossible..._he thought, even as he studied the woman held in Alice's arms. He had studied the figure the whole way to the beach, his eyes narrowed with suspicion. At first, he refused to believe it. Now, there was no denying.

After sharing a quick, soft kiss, Alice turned toward Chris. Her eyes had yet to leave the redhead, just as Claire's had yet to leave her own, and their fingers twined together on their own accord. The brunette flashed Chris a quick glance, and her steps faltered when she saw the look on the man's face. Claire seemed to notice this, for her perfectly sculpted forehead scrunched in slight confusion until, that is, she turned her eyes toward the man that held Alice's attention.

"Chris..." The name left her lips before she even realized she had spoken, and Alice's head immediately whipped toward her. The redhead and the soldier were studying one another intently, and the brunette's eyes darted from one to the other.

"Claire...?" she asked, squeezing the fingers intertwined with her own. This seemed to break the younger woman from her trance, and she turned surprised eyes on Alice. "Who...who is he?" she asked, almost afraid to know the answer. She didn't want to know why Chris was looking at Claire like she was a ghost, and she didn't want to know why Claire was looking at Chris like he was something precious that had been lost and was found. She didn't want to know why, but she _had _to.

"He...He's my brother." With that, the redhead stepped forward and moved toward her brother, leaving a shocked and silent Alice behind.

**::::::::**

**6 Months Later**

**::::::::**

_However far away I will always love you_

_However long I stay I will always love you_

_Whatever words I say I will always love you_

_I will always love you _

"Alice! Claire!" The sound of their names being called, and the knocking on their door stirred the pair, and Alice couldn't help the frustrated groan even if she wanted to.

"What!" She shouted in return, not even sitting up in the bed.

"Breakfast is ready." Even through the door, she could hear the amusement in the deep voice, and she gritted her teeth.

"We'll be down in a minute, Chris," Claire answered, awakening at her lovers shout. She turned with an amused smile toward a very pissed off brunette. "Babe, relax."

"He does this on purpose, you know. One day. He can't give us one damn day to just fucking relax," Alice hissed in return. Claire's smirk didn't help the situation.

"Give him a little credit. At least he didn't burst in demanding to know your intentions with his sister," Claire commented, her amusement only growing the angrier Alice got. She resulted to placing lazy kisses on the brunette's collar bone, knowing it would soothe her.

"Only because he knows I can kick his ass. Besides, we covered the 'intentions with my sister' bit a long time ago." The kisses did, indeed, calm her anger, and she wrapped her arms around the redhead's waist. "He's just jealous that I'm banging the hottest woman left alive."

Claire's ministrations ceased, and one auburn eyebrow lifted. "That is so wrong on so many levels. First of all, I'm his sister, and second of all, you're the one he had the hots for, not me. If anything, these little digs are to punish me, not you."

"Why, Ms. Redfield, I do believe you sound jealous." It was Alice's turn to smirk.

"Not at all. I just don't like the way he looks at you. Him, or Luthur," She said with a hiss, promoting a wider smile from the brunette.

From the first moment they met, Claire's distaste for the basketball player became apparent. Even in the month since they had arrived, she still hadn't gotten over it. Not that Alice could blame her...whenever he was around her, his eyes did tend to wander, and Claire always seemed to notice. Luthur couldn't even use the excuse that he was unaware of the relationship between the two women, either. Claire and Alice hadn't exactly kept it a secret.

At least, he had taken the news better than Chris had. Needless to say, he hadn't been pleased to find out the infamous love of Alice's life had been his sister. The pair had danced on glass around one another for weeks afterward but, eventually, after a long heart-to-heart with Claire, in which she revealed she was very happy with the brunette and did, in fact, lover her, he seemed to get over and accept it. Since then, Chris had taken great strides toward acceptance. He even seemed to have gotten over the fact that the woman he loved was, as Alice had put it, banging his sister.

All was well in the world of Alice and Chris, for now at least.

It hardly seemed like six months since they had made it to safety. The survivors had settled well into their new homes, and the Island of Unalaska was more than able to support them. They occupied most of the island, small settlements springing up throughout the length of the island, and life had gone on much as it once had. Community leaders and representatives were elected to handle any communal disputes and make any major decisions. Claire, Alice, Chris and Luthur had all but given up their own positions, only serving as advisers on occasion, which was more than enough. They had all done their time as being the ones in charge, and all were content to simply live their lives.

"Claire! Alice!" The call sounded once more, this time coming from downstairs, and both women sighed.

"We better get goin' before he comes back," Claire murmured, burying her head in Alice's nape. The brunette traced slow patterns on her bare back, smiling against her red hair.

"Or..." Alice's tone caused the younger woman to lift her head, a questionable look on her face. "We could just stay here...and give him a reason to regret comin' a knockin'." Mischief sparkled in those baby blue eyes, reflected in her voice.

Claire's answering smile was just a devious, and she smirked. "Yes. Yes we could." With that, Claire leaned forward, pressing their lips together in a kiss that sealed the deal.

**Parting notes; **Yes, it's choppy and horribly written, but I've completely lost my muse for this piece. I have to say, I'm kinda glad it's finished...Dear God has never been my favorite (yes, we writers have favorites, just like parents have favorite kids ;D) and I have to say I'm not necessarily happy with the way it, as a whole, turned out. Maybe one day, I'll re-write it, and hopefully it will suck less. Anyway, thanks for sticking with me for this long, guys. I appreciate all your support!


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